Water-rock interaction in the ophiolitic aquifers of Northern Calabria

Teresa Critelli (a) & Carmine Apollaro (a)
(a) Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences (DIBEST), University of Calabria, via Ponte Bucci 4, cubo 15B, I-87036 Arcavacata di Rende (CS), Italy. Corresponding author e-mail: teresa.critelli@unical.it

In this study, data acquired on local rocks, minerals, and shallow groundwaters were used to reconstruct the irreversible rock-to-water mass exchanges occurring during weathering of metabasalts and serpentinites of Northern Calabria, by means of reaction path modeling and taking into account the dissolution kinetics of relevant mineral phases. Groundwater analyses were performed on 69 spring waters and showed a prevalence of Ca–HCO3 over Mg–HCO3 compositions suggesting that groundwaters interact chiefly with metabasalts and secondarily with serpentinites.

Geochemical modeling, metabasalts, ophiolitic aquifers, serpentinites.